Column number 83 – 2021
Positive outlook for European economy gives back a significant contrast with fears for worldwide increasing pandemic. The positive trend in machine tools sector during 2021 is extremely encouraging: recent data indicates that CECIMO’s MT output in 2021 is expected to grow at an annual rate of about 11.5%, reaching 22.5 billion euros in 2021. With a share of about 33%, CECIMO countries will maintain the number 1 position in the global MT market. Despite the uncertainty in pandemic, there is need of normality that develops itself in a fibrillation in economy and industry, with the decisive effects coming from economic contribution from governments, aimed at a compensative trend to negative effects of various lockdowns.
These are, in general, the best perspectives that design a good framework for Tube 2022, that will be held in Düsseldorf from May 9th to 13th, and remains the outstanding event for tube sector. After the postponement and following cancellation of 2020 edition, the growth of the MT sector gave impetus to the new edition that has already acquired the participation of a large number among the main companies. The European market in MT sector is pulled up by export: Total MT exports and MT imports to increase by 12% and 13% retrospectively on a year-over-year basis. Germany, Italy and Switzerland remain the major CECIMO exporters and the two major MT export destinations outside Europe are China and the United States. Japan, China and the Taiwan region remain the major MT supplying markets for CECIMO countries (outside Europe). It is important to underline that the effects of a rough rise of pandemic can have a deep impact on the forecast for 2022: the uncertainty of new virus variants and new measures issued by governments can change the situation and slower the growth. Another critical element are supplies: supply chain denotates many bottlenecks and the growth of the quotation for scrap is indicative in this sense.
In Italy, the growth is faster than in every other European country: in 2021 production reached 6,325 million euro, marking a 22.1% upturn compared with the previous year. The outcome was due to the excellent trend of Italian manufacturers’ deliveries in the domestic market, increased by 27.8% to 2,965 million euro, as well as to the positive performance of exports, achieving 3,360 million euro, i.e. 17.4% more than in the previous year. This trend should continue even in 2022, the year when all the ground lost in 2020 should be recovered. With a double-sided expectations for the near future, we face a holidays period easier than one year ago: economic trends and vaccination campaign give us the idea of a more positive overall situation. If one year ago we were in a negative moment with many expectations for the future, now the feeling is of a positive situation with some remaining shadows. And it is already a good result. From the editorial staff, the management and myself, I want to send you, everywhere you are and everything you are doing, the best wishes of serenity and joy for the holidays and new year: I hope to see you all in 2022, stronger and safer than ever, with more confidence in the future and in an economic growth that will take everyone out of the crisis.